The Rebellious Officials and Traitors of the Late Han Dynasty

Chapter 548 Defeat
Jia Xu smiled slightly, stroked his beard, and said slowly: "Your Highness, please be patient. In my opinion, the Second Prince's move may not be a bad idea."

Qin Chengqian frowned, "Why do you say that, Lord Jia? The southern barbarians are fickle, and if we indulge them like this, won't we just encourage their arrogance?"

"Your Highness, have you ever thought about this?" Jia Xu's eyes flashed with a gleam of light. "The terrain in the south is dangerous and there are many tribes. Even if Meng Huo is killed, there will be others who will rise up. The Second Prince and Zhuge Liang are using a strategy of attacking the heart."

Qin Chengqian's expression eased a little after hearing this, but he was still worried: "But the ministers in the court..."

"Your Highness," Jia Xu lowered his voice, "This is a good time for you to show your generosity as a crown prince. Why not publicly support the Second Prince's strategy at tomorrow's court meeting?"

Qin Chengqian's eyes flashed with surprise: "This..."

Jia Xu said meaningfully: "Your Majesty hopes to see harmony among brothers. Moreover, if Nanzhong is indeed pacified, you will also have a share of the credit; if not, the responsibility will be on the Second Prince."

Qin Chengqian pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "Mr. Jia, that's a good idea!"

The next day, at the court meeting, a minister came forward to impeach Qin Chengji for letting the enemy go. Just as the debate was heated, Qin Chengqian stood up.

"My Lords," he said loudly in a clear voice, "My second brother is in Nanzhong, and he has personally been to the battlefield. He knows the local situation best. He and Zhuge Liang must have made this plan for a reason. I think we should give them full trust and time."

The hall suddenly became quiet.

"Your Highness is wise." Upon hearing this, Gu Yong immediately stood up and spoke loudly.

Seeing this, the other ministers could only put aside their doubts and stop impeaching the two men.

At the same time, the war in Nanzhong entered a new stage. After being captured for the seventh time, Meng Huo finally knelt before Qin Chengji in sincere submission.

"Your Highness is kind and benevolent. Meng Huo is willing to lead the tribes of Nanzhong and submit to the Tang Dynasty forever!"

When the news reached Chang'an, the whole court celebrated. Qin Chengqian personally wrote a letter to ask for merit for his brother and rewarded the three armies.

The autumn wind from Liaodong blew dust over the Tang army camp. Qin Shou stood on a makeshift observation tower, looking out at the rolling mountains to the north. His armor shone coldly in the setting sun, and the sword at his waist swayed gently with his movements.

"Your Highness, the scouts reported that the remnants of Gongsun Kang have fled into Goguryeo." Zhou Yu quickly walked up to the observation tower, holding a sheepskin map in his hand, "The Goguryeo nobles took them in and sent more troops to help Gongsun Kang."

Qin Shou's mouth curled up slightly, and a sharp light flashed in his eyes: "Good Bo Gu, how dare you take in the traitor of my Tang Dynasty."

He turned to Zhou Yu and asked, "Gongjin, what do you think we should do?"

Zhou Yu unfolded the map, pointed to the Yalu River, and sneered: "Goguryeo relies on its geographical advantages and thinks that our army dare not cross the border to pursue them. Why not take them by surprise, cross the river and take Wandu directly, capture Gongsun Kang in one fell swoop, and shock Goguryeo."

Qin Shou's eyes wandered between the two counselors. After a moment, he clapped his hands and smiled, saying, "You two have different strategies. In this case, our army can be divided into two routes. One route will be led by Zilong and Wenyuan, going down the river to contain the enemy. The main force will be led by me personally to directly capture the city of Neiguo and cut off the connection between Wandu and the border."

Zhou Yu and Xun You looked at each other and said at the same time, "Your Majesty is wise!"

At dawn the next day, the Tang army broke camp and set out. Zhao Yun led 5,000 light cavalry in advance, their horses' hooves trampled across the Liaodong Plain, raising clouds of dust. Qin Shou was stationed in the center of the army, guarded by two powerful generals, Dian Wei and Xu Chu. Xu Huang led the rear army to ensure that the grain route was unobstructed. "Report! Your Majesty, a Goguryeo military camp was discovered thirty miles ahead, with about 20,000 troops stationed!" A scout came on horseback to report

Qin Shou reined in his horse, looked at Lu Xun beside him, and asked, "Bo Yan, what do you think?"

Lu Xun thought for a moment and said, "The Goguryeo army has an advantageous geographical position. A strong attack may result in too many casualties. It is better to send a small group of elite troops to attack at night to create chaos, and then press forward with the main force. These Goguryeo were defeated by Gongsun Kang in the past. This time, they took advantage of your majesty's leading the army here, and Gongsun Kang had no time to take care of them and rebuild the country. The combat effectiveness of his soldiers must be very poor. As long as we plan properly, we will win!"

"Good." Qin Shou nodded and immediately ordered: "Tonight at midnight, Wenyuan will lead a hundred soldiers to sneak into the enemy camp and set fire. Zilong will lead the cavalry to stand by and attack the left wing as soon as the fire starts. Gongming will be in charge of the right wing."

As night fell, Dian Wei selected a hundred brave soldiers, all dressed in black and holding short swords, with their mouths sealed and their horses bound, and quietly approached the Goguryeo camp. There were bonfires in the camp, and sentinels patrolled back and forth, but they were unaware of the approaching danger.

"Move!" Zhang Liao gave a low command, and hundreds of soldiers dispersed like ghosts. A moment later, fires broke out in the haystacks, stables, and tents in the camp, and the Goguryeo army was thrown into chaos.

"Kill!" Zhao Yun led his cavalry on a white horse and silver spear, rushing into the left wing of the enemy camp like a tide. The Goguryeo general rushed to fight, but was knocked off his horse by Zhao Yun's spear. Xu Huang from the right wing also rushed in, and the Goguryeo army was defeated under the double attack.

Qin Shou stood on a high place, looking at the flames rising into the sky from the enemy camp, and nodded with satisfaction: "Pass the order down, those who surrender will not be killed, and those who surrender will be spared."

At dawn, the battle ended. The Tang army won a great victory, captured more than 8,000 enemy soldiers, and seized countless food and weapons. Qin Shou gave a grand funeral to the Goguryeo soldiers who died in the battle, and released some of the captives to return home, allowing them to bring the Tang army's reputation and benevolence.

"Your Majesty is benevolent and righteous. The soldiers and civilians of Goguryeo will surely be grateful to you." Xun You stroked his beard and praised.

Qin Shou shook his head and said, "It's not for benevolence and righteousness, but to attack the heart. Let the Goguryeo people know that if they resist, they will die, but if they surrender, they can live."

Three days later, the Tang army arrived at the bank of the Mazi River. The river was turbulent and the Goguryeo defenders on the other side were ready to fight. Qin Shou called all the generals together to discuss the strategy of crossing the river.

"The river is turbulent and the enemy has set up defenses on the other side. If we force a crossing, we may suffer heavy losses," Zhou Yu frowned.

Lu Xun suddenly said, "Your Majesty, I have observed for a long time and found that the river is wider and the water is gentler ten miles upstream, and there are dense trees and trees, which can be used to hide troops."

Qin Shou's eyes lit up: "Bo Yan is talking about making a feint to the east and attacking in the west?"

"That's right." Lu Xun nodded, "We can send a small force to launch a feint attack here to attract the enemy's attention. The main force can sneak upstream and cross the river at night."

The plan was set, and the Tang army took action immediately. Zhao Yun led two thousand soldiers to beat drums and shout in the front, making a gesture of forcing a crossing. The Goguryeo defenders really fell into the trap and mobilized their main forces to defend this place.

In the dead of night, Qin Shou led the main force to the upstream ferry quietly. The soldiers used the rafts and leather bags that had been prepared long ago to quietly cross the Yalu River. Dian Wei and Xu Chu were the first to land, clear out the scattered sentinels, and ensure the safety of the army landing.

"Report - Tang Army. Tang Army has crossed the river from upstream!" When the Goguryeo defender received the urgent report, the main force of the Tang Army had already lined up on the north bank.

"All forces charge!" Qin Shou drew his sword and pointed it at the enemy's flank. The Tang army rushed down the mountain like a tiger, attacking the Goguryeo army who were caught off guard. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the defending general had to retreat in a panic.

(End of this chapter)